Gas port coupling



June 23, 1942- G. R. zAcHRY GAS PORT COUPLING Filed Dec. 26, 1940INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1942 GAS PORT COUPLING Guy R. Zachry, Hobbs,N. Mex., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application December 26, 1940, Serial No. 371,722

(Cl. 16S- 1) 2 Claims.

The present invention is directed to a coupling for use in the i'lowstring of a well.

An object of the present invention is to produce a means which willenable an oriiice to be installed in the tubing in a well withoutnecessitating the removal of the tubing from the well.

A further object is to provide a means to be arranged in the flow stringof a well which will provide an oriiice in a tubing upon suitablemanipulation from the surface of the earth.

Other` objects and advantages of the present invention may be seen froma reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with thedrawing in which Fig. 1 is a view, partly in cross section, modificationof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of another modiiication of the presentinvention; and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the device in position in the ow tubing in awell.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, a coupling I I is providedwith a hole in the median portion thereof, and arranged within the holeso that it extends laterally with respect to the axis of the coupling isa pin I2 which is constructed of a frangible material, such as castiron. The pin is attached to the coupling by suitable means, such aswelding I3, which seals the end of the pin to the coupling in a uidtightmanner. A passage'M is drilled into the pin, the passage beginning atthe face of the part of the pin attached to the coupling and extendinglongitudinally inwardly, but terminating before the end of the pin isreached. Arranged to cover the base of the pin is a plate I5, the platebeing provided with a small hole I6 of a size to be determined by thevolume of gas desired, the hole being centered over the passage I4 ofthe pin. Plate I is constructed of a shock resistant material, such assteel, and is attached to the coupling II by a suitable means, forexample, Welding -I`I, in order to provide a fluid-tight seal.

As another modification of the present invention the plate covering thebase of the frangible pin may be provided with a hard metal insert. Suchan insert is illustrated by Fig. 3. As indicated in this gure, a plate30 is provided with small passage 3l, and centered about the outeropening of this passage is a hard metal insert 32. The insert resistsabrasive conditions which otherwise might rapidly enlarge the openingthrough the plate.

An application of the device to a producing ofa well is illustrated inFig. 4. In this figure, a bore hole 20 penetrates a superimposed stratum2|, gas producing zone 22, impermeable zone 23, and oil producingformation 24. The hole is provided with the usual casing 25 sealed atits lower end with cement plug 26. Within the casing is arranged tubing2'I having arranged at its lower end a perforated nipple or screen 28with aV packer 29 arranged above the perforated nipple to seal the oilproducing zone from the gas producing zone. Arranged above the packer inthe gas producing Zone is collar II having arranged therein a frangiblepin, as previously described.

The well may be allowed to produce from the oil producing formation inthe usual manner. Under some occasions, however, it Will be found thatthere is not sufficient gas dissolved in the' oil produced. Under suchcircumstances, it will be desirable to have an orifice in the tubing atthe gas producing zone to enable gas to flow from the gas producing zoneinto the tubing. This additional gas will reduce the specific gravity ofthe oil in the tubing and allow greater production from the -oilproducing formation. Under such conditions, a weight on a line may berun down the tubing.` If the weight strikes pin I2 With sufcient force,it Will shear 01T the end thereof and expose passage I4 so that gas mayflow from the gasproducing zone to the interior of the tubing.

While specific materials for constructing the device have been disclosedherein, it will be apparent that the device is not limited to the use ofsuch materials, What is desired is a relatively easily frangible pinprojecting within the tubing and provided with a passage, the end of thepassage being protected by a shock-resisting material provided with asmall oriiice so that, when a portion or all of the frangible pin isdestroyed, the flow of fluid into the well will be controlled by thesmall orifice. It is therefore not my intention to be bound by thespecic mo-dication disclosed, but to claim my invention broadly.

I claim:

1. Means suitable for arrangement in a producing string comprising, incombination, a section of conduit, a frangible member secured to thewall of said conduit in a fluid-tight manner and extending inwardly, asecond member of re1- atively shock-resistant material secured to theexterior of said conduit in a huid-tight manner to entirely cover saidfrangible member, a relatively small orice in said second member, apassage of larger size in said irangible member, said passage beingarranged with one end in said hole and projecting inwardly, a relativelyshock-resistant member secured on the exterior of said coupling to coverthe end of said frangible member, an orifice of relatively small area insaid shock-resistant member, erosion resisting means arranged on saidshock resistant member adjacent said orice and a passage in saidfrangible member in communication with the exterior through saidorifice, but Without communication to the interior of the casing, saidfrangible member being arranged to be sheared by a Weight passed downsaid tubing.

GUY R. ZACHRY.

